Helsinki



Helsinki is beautiful but didn't take many photos
as it rained during part of the tour

 

The impressive neoclassical Senate
Square dates from 1833

Another beautiful market, only this
market sells furs, interesting.

Helsinki,capital of Finland and "Daughter of the Baltic" was founded in 1550.  The city is beautifully set on a peninsula surrounded by islands.  It is a modern, lively city of approximately a half million inhabitants.
Most of the sights are concentrated within easy walking distance, in and around the compact center of Helsinki, with the charm of a small seaport.  Cruise ships and the big ferries from Stockholm, Rostock,and Tallin dock on either side of South harbor.  At the head of the harbour, a colorful open air market is held daily in the Summer.  Stalls are stocked with fruit, vegetables, flowers, souvenirs and clothing that include furs.  Evidence of Finnish creativity and design is all around you.  The harsh Winters with up to 18 hours of darkness daily may have encouraged these artistic talents.  The factor that most clearly sets them apart from their neighbors is their language, impenetrable to most outsiders.  Reindeer is served hot with cream sauce or cold, smoked and thinly sliced.  No thanks.  Coffee is so popular that it could claim to be the national drink. Fur coats and hats are regarded as a necessity, not a luxury.  A big name that everyone wanted to shop for included Marimekko.  The Finns love nature and boasts a remarkable lot of space and greenery with canoeing, sailing and nature trails cut through the city.  In the Winter, it is ice fishing, cross country skiers and ice skaters.  The biggest cause of auto accidents in Finland is moose. Like most of the Baltic countries, Helsinki's highlight of the year is the Midsummer Festival celebrating the Summer solstice on the weekend closest to June 24.  The Finns are very proud of Jean Sibelius, a Finnish composer of the Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of Finnish National Identity.  The Finn's legendary 'sisu', the courage and endurance which enabled them to survive the powerful neighbors that fought for their land. Sibelius mastery of the orchestra has been described as prodigious.  One of Sibelius best known compositions include 'Finlandia'. Sibelius's image was on the Finnish 100 mark bill until 2002 when they went to Euros.  The Sibelius monument was created and dedicated to the vision of Sibelius on the tenth anniversary of his death (1967).  He is so revered by the Finnish people and our tour guide 'made us' get out in the rain to see it.  I was lucky as one of the young women on the cruise insisted I take her umbrella.  The monument is suppose to represent nature, water and wood but is often a victim of ridicule.  With the photo, you have an idea of the scale.  I commented on the 'Little Mermaid' in Copenhagen and how shocking the small size.  A friend who has followed my blog was kind enough to comment that we are use to such large scale (Churchill across from Parliament in London - good example) and Hans Christian Andersen probably made it to scale of his character in the book.  I think the 'Sibelius Monument' is to Finland what the 'Little Mermaid' and Hans Christian Andersen is to Denmark.  I understood it better.  I was glad that we got out in the rain to see it. Our tour took us through the residental area and the famous Rock Church.  Two brothers started with a rocky outcrop 40 feet above the street level and created an ingenious modern version of the rotunda, with interior walls from bedrock and spanned by a hughe dome covered in copper wire.  The church is often used for concerts.  Unfortunately, we could not go in as it is in renovation but we did see the exterior.  Most impressive was Villa Hakasalmi, a mansion built in 1846 in Italian Renaissance style, now used as the Municipal Museum.  We were docked in a position that we could see the traffic and look down one of the principal streets.  I loved seeing the city, even with the rain.


The Sibelius Park is laid out on a hill overlooking the sea in
honour of the composer Jean Sibelius with rocky
outcrops and old birch trees.  To one side of the park stands a
massive steel sculpture resembling organ pipes, The Sibelius Monument.

1. 



Sculpture of the composer Jean Sibelius



Our very enthusiastic guide spoke very
good English. (In the colorful coat)